Apparatus for loading or unloading wagons.



l No. 646,6. Patented Apr. s, |900.

\ Y l l.. vANsAnT. APPARATUS FUR LDDING 0B UIILUADING WAGMIS.

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' imparting motionto an endless apron or con- -Improvemeut in Apparatusfor. Loading or ing through the join-tsbetween 'the strips of A UNITEDv:STATES f PATENT OFFICE.

IsAAcL'. 'v ANsnN'r,- oF P IIILADE'LrIiI-A, PENNSYLVANIA'.

i 'A PPAIRATUS Fos Loanma oa u'NLoAolNe wA co.Ns.

srxcmesrroir rempart of Letters recent No. e4e,e71, aatedsprn 's, ieee.

' muenchen 21,

To all whontit may concern: Be it known that I, -Isaac L. VANSANT, a.citizen of the United States, residing in the cityandcountyofPhiladelphia,StateofPenn-. sylvania, vhave invented a new and usefulUnloading Wagons, which improvement isfully set forthin the followingspecification and accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an im'proved apparatus for loading and unloadingwagons, cars, dsc.; 'audit consists of mechanism for veyer, which formsthe bottom of .the wagon or car. It also consists-'in so constructingthe con- `veyer that'ne open spaces exist en the upper surface of thesame between the strips which form part'of the conveyor, so that shoulda load consist of sand or other tine particles there canbeno'possibilit-y of 'the same escapthe conveyer.

It further consists of 4novel details of con struction, all as will hehereinafter fully set forth, and' particularly pointedsont in theAclaims.- 'j

Figure 1 vrepresents a partial lside elevation and partialvertical'section `of au apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2representsl a plan view of Vcertain of the parts seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a partial side'elevatiou and partial vertical section ofcertain detached portions of the device. Fig. 4 represents a sideelevation of the mechanism employed to operate the conveyor. Fig. 5

- represents a partial side elevation and partialvertical section of therear end of a coal-wagon provided with a portion of the device embody`Ing my invention. Y Y

Similar 'letters of reference indicate corresponding parts intheiigures. Y

Referring to the drawings, A designates the body of a wagon, which maybe mounted on running-gear of any suitable description.

,B designates a lever loosely fitted on 'the shaft C. of the forwardroller D, so as t rock on saidshaft without imparting motion thereto.

Pivoted to the lever B is a dog E, which engages the teeth of aratchet-wheel AF, firmly secured to the shaft C, it beingv apparent that1899. Serlll In. 722,011. (Fo model.)

-when said lever B .is moved in the directionA indicated by the arrow a.in Figs. 1 and 4 the dog E will cause' the ratchet-wheel F to rotate inthe direction indicated by the arrow b in said Fig. 4, and consequentlyimpart motion in'. aV similar direction to the forward roller D, whichis' 'provided with radial projections' G on both its ends, saidprojections G being adapted to engage openings Hin the plates J, whichprojectbeyond the ends of the strips K of the conveyor or bottom' L ofthe body A, so that the rotary motion imparted to the forward rollerD-will transmitmotion to the bottom L of the wagon and cause said bottomto move in the direction indicated by the arrow c in Eig. 1 wl1en theratchetwheel F is being rotated in thedirectiop ind icated -by the arrowb in Fig. 4. The strips K of the bottom L are connected together byhinges M to permit the former to pass around the rollers D and N, itbeing noted that said roller N is also provided with radial projectionsG, which engage the openings Il in the plates.

It is evident that, if desired, the shaft P of tlie roller N may projectbeyond the sides Q of the body A of the wagon, as illustrated in dotted4lines. at R in Fig.A 2, so that said shaft P may, if desired, berotated by mechanism similar to that described in connection with theroller Dor by cranks.

S designates rollers journaled in the sides Q o f the body A, saidrollers being located between the rollers D and N fo'r'the purpose ofpreventing the conveyor or bottom L from sagging, it being apparent thatsaid rollers j need not be provided with projections G.

The gaps or spaces T (seen in Fig. 3,)

which exist between the ends o f the strips -K and the si'desQof thebody A of a wagon,

may, if 'desired, be covered by inwardly-pro-I jectiug flanges formed byangle-irons U, to tprevent fine particles-such as sand, sawdust,

`ne coal, &c.from dropping into said gaps, and, if desired, the strips Kmay be of suiicient length to cover the plates J, in which case theangle-irons U maybe dispensed with.

In Fig. 5, V designates a chute secured to the rear of the bodyA andadapted to direct the contents of the latter to any desired spot.

The operation' is as follows: When it is de- IOO sired to load a wagonequipped with my in- `ages, are placed iu the rear portion of the age,the latter is placed thereon, and the le- 'ver is again operated, so asto cause the f indicatedby the dotted arrow in said Fig. 4,

4or seat of the wagon.

-Vwagon to move in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow cin Fig. 1', and. thus v unload the contents of the wagon.

vention, thc articles, as boxes or other packwagon, l as indicated bydotted lines atv W. in Fig. 1, and the lever B is moved in the'directionindicated by the arrow a in Figs. 1 and 4, thereby causing the bottomLof the wagon to move in the direction indicated by the arrow c in Fig.1, and thus cause, the box to move in unison with said bottom L.Tholever B is then returned to its normal position,

as seen in- Fig. A1, and the dog E rides -freely over the teeth of theratchet-wheel F, so as to engage a tooth of said wheel in orderto'further advance the bottom L when said lever B is again moved in thedirection indicated by the arrows a. When the bottom L has been advancedsufficiently to receive another packcontents placed'on the bottom L tobe still further advanced or movedtoward the front This operation may be-continued until the wagon is entirely'loaded.

When it is desired t'o unload a wagon provided with my device, the dog Eis rotated en its axis X'and in the direction indicated bythe arrows din Fig. 4, thus causing' said dog'E tQ assume the position indicated -by.dotted lines in said Fig. 4, it being apparent that when the lever B ismoved in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow a in Figs.1 and 4 said'lever will cause the dog E to rotate the .ratchet-wheel Fin the direction and consequently cause the bottom L of the A It will ofcourse be apparent thatif desired I may construct the end rollers overwhich ployed, if desired; but it lnay be preferable inl some instancesto apply said cranks instead. j

Having thus describedmyinvention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

41. The combination of a wagon-body, roll-' ers journaled at either endthereof, an endless apron passing over said rollers, interlockingdevices common to said rollersy and to-said apron, an elongated shaft ononev of said rollers, a ratchet-'wheel on said shaft, a lever looselymounted on said shaft, and a dog' carried by said lever and adapted .toengage said ratchet-wheel, so as to ,actuate th same in eitherdirection.

2. The combination of'a wagon-'body,toothed rollers at theendsthereof,means for rotating one of said rollers, an endless apron trainedapertured plates secured to the ends of the strips composing said apronto be engaged by s'aid toothed rollers.

3. The combination of a. wagon-body, an endless apron in the bottomthereof, means for actuating said apron, and inwardly-projecting flangesen the. inner sides of tho wagon -body overlapping thev side edges 'ofsaid'apron.

. ISAAC L. VNSANT. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERsHmM, WM. CANER .WIEDERsHEnL around said rollers, andlaterally-projecting

